Cream and Sugar
by Xhibit B
Summary: AU. Verseless. In which Yami meets Yūgi in a Starbucks and falls in love. Little does he know, she fell in love too.


**Cream and Sugar**

**By: Xhibit B**

**Part of the** _Holiday Crack and Mistletoe 2019 Updating Event_

* * *

.i do not own yu-gi-oh!.

* * *

"I'll be there soon enough, Seto, don't worry," Yami said into his cellphone as he pulled into a parking space outside the local Starbucks. "I'm just going to grab coffee really quick then I'll be on my way. Shouldn't take me more than 20 minutes or so to grab coffee and get to the office. Don't worry."

He rolled his wine coloured eyes as he listened to his cousin grumbling over the line as he walked across the parking lot to the coffee shop. He was stressing himself out more than he needed to about this upcoming acquisition. Yami had taken care of everything already. And as long as Seto didn't lose his cool like he was prone to do, they would be just fine. Things would go without a hitch if he just calmed down.

"Seriously, chill out," Yami said as he reached for the door handle and pulled it opened; getting hit full force with the inviting warm air. "I'll be there soon. Go sit in your office and wait for me. Don't touch anything, don't say anything to anyone, just take time to relax until I get there and let me handle it."

He heard his cousin grumble an "okay" before the line went dead and he stepped into the lobby, tucking the green iPhone 11 Pro Max away in his pocket.

"Welcome in," a cheerful voice greeted him.

He glanced up, immediately greeted by the sight of a beautiful young, tri-colour haired woman that couldn't be any older than twenty, just eight years younger than he was. She was smiling at him, waiting patiently for him to approach and place his order. It took him a moment to recompose himself, which he played off by looking at the display of coffee beans that had been set up before he carefully approached.

"Good morning," he greeted in return.

"What can we get started for you today," the young woman asked, her voice just as cheerful as it had been only a few moments ago.

"Just a Venti blond roast, with a little room for cream and sugar," Yami answered as he leaned back to look at the display case. He stomach grumbled at him, letting him know that he was actually kind of hungry and would need to down something on his way to work. "And two of those ham and cheese croissants. And that will do it for me."

"Absolutely," the girl said as she pressed several buttons before she glanced up at him again. "May I have a name for the order?"

"Yami," he answered in return, pulling his wallet out of his pocket to fish several bills from it.

"Alright," the young woman said as she pressed several more buttons.

She gave him his total before he paid with his card; carefully dropping the bills he pulled from his wallet into the tip jar when she turned around to get the coffee. It took only a moment before she was turning back to him again, handing over the cup that housed his coffee. "There you are, Yami. Cream and sugars are over there on the condiment bar. I'll have your croissants out in just a moment."

"Thank you," he said as wine coloured hues peered at her nametag that sat on the left side of her apron, "Yūgi."

Yūgi simply smiled at him before she turned away again and made her way to the warming station. At the same time, Yami made his way over to the condiment bar to add cream and sugar to his coffee. He tasted it to make sure he'd added the correct ratios before placing the lid back on it again just as his name was called. He turned just in time to see Yūgi holding up two bags that no doubt housed his food. Picking up his coffee, he strode over and took the bags from her, thanking the woman before he was out the door again and making his way back to his car. He had to hurry and make it to the office before his cousin freaked out on him more than he already had.

The rest of his day ran smoothly, the meeting about the acquisition going through without a hitch. But the whole time he was working, he couldn't help but think about the woman he'd met at the Starbucks that morning. And when he visited later that afternoon, he noticed that she wasn't working but she was tucked away in a corner surrounded by a laptop, several textbooks, multiple notebooks and a multitude of markers. He smiled slightly, ordering a blonde Americano with room.

He wouldn't bother her today. She was obviously studying for school and he wouldn't dare interrupt that. A few moments later, he heard his name being called as he drink was placed on the handoff plane. He saw Yūgi's head pop up from the corner of his eye at the mention of his name before she quickly returned to her work; chiding herself for getting distracted. He thanked the barista before walking away to add cream and sugar to his coffee before he was out the door again.

…

The next morning that Yami came into the Starbucks Yūgi worked for, he was greeted by the sight of her at the condiment bar, refilling the sugars and cream. Her back was to him as she greeted him, asking to give her a moment as she reached for another box of sugar. She clearly didn't have a firm grip on it because the box began to slip from her fingers. Without much thought, Yami reacted, catching the edge of the box to keep it from toppling over. When she saw him, her cheeks grew red before she thanked him for his help.

"Good morning, Yami, right," she asked as she placed the box on the countertop.

Yami nodded, following after her as she pivoted on the heel of her foot and made her way back to the register. "You remembered my name, I'm impressed."

"I try to remember everyone's names that come in," she admitted as she slipped behind the register, waking the POS system. "Will you be having the blonde roast again today?"

He nodded once, "You remembered the drink, too. Yes, a Venti Blonde Roast, with room and this time let's do one of those double smoked bacon sandwiches."

"Great choice," Yūgi complimented as she put his order in. "The double smoke is one of my personal favourites. It's also a really big seller at this store in particular." She paused a moment to put something in before gesturing to the card reader. "Go ahead and enter your card when you're ready. I'll grab that blonde roast for you."

She turned away, grabbing a cup before moving to the urn that held the blonde roast coffee. She poured it in, leaving just enough room for him to add cream and sugar to his coffee before putting a lid and sleeve on it. She handed it to the businessman with a smile. "Here you go, I'll go ahead and throw that sandwich in for you. It'll just be a minute."

"No worries, I'm not in a rush," Yami said as he placed several bills in the tip jar once more before heading to the condiments bar.

Just like the day before, he added his cream and sugar before checking to make sure he had the perfect ratio. It was just as he was taking a sip to taste it that Yūgi appeared at his side, sandwich in hand. "Here you are. Let me move this box out of your way."

She grabbed the box, pulling it off the counter and out of his way before moving to the other side. The box rest against her hip as she pulled sugar packets out and placed them into the holder to refill it. Yami watched her from the corner of his eye as he added one more sugar to his coffee; curiosity burning in the pit of his stomach.

"I don't mean to sound intrusive, but, I noticed you studying yesterday afternoon when I came in," Yami started as nonchalantly as he possibly could. "What are you going to school for, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh, I'm going to school to be a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner," Yūgi answered with glee. "I've already finished my undergrad work and have my bachelor's in nursing. Now I'm just finishing up my master's program. I've only got one more semester to go after this one ends."

Yami's brow shot up at the answer. He never would have guessed she was a nursing student. Which meant that she was older than what he originally thought she was. "I see, that's a wonderful field to go into. My cousin's fiancée is an emergency room nurse. She loves it." He paused to glance at his Apple Watch when it buzzed. There was a slight sigh that escaped his grasp as he turned to the tri-colour haired woman again. "Well, I must be on my way. Good luck with your studies, Yūgi."

"Thank you, Yami," Yūgi beamed as she waved goodbye. "Have a great day."

"You as well," he called over his shoulder as he left the coffee shop and headed for his car again. It had been Seto that had texted him, asking where he was and when he would be getting to the office. His cousin was very impatient, he'd concluded as he placed his sandwich in the passenger's seat and his coffee in the cup holder. He pressed the engine start button on his Tesla before backing out of the parking spot and taking off towards the office; unaware that Yūgi had been watching the entire time.

…

Three weeks later when he stopped in that cold Thursday morning, Yūgi was nowhere to be seen. He figured it must have been her day off, or something. That or she was going to be working later in the afternoon. He knew that she was in school, so it was probably the former, especially if she had classes to attend. With a shrug to himself, he approached the counter and placed his order with the brown-haired girl that was standing at the register. She was pleasant enough, quick with getting his coffee and food to him before he was out the door again and on his way to work. He'd stop in later in after work that afternoon to see if she was there.

He'd been in the middle of reading an email when his cousin walked into his office, leaning against the doorframe. His arms came to rest across his chest as he glanced at his cousin. "This is the fourth day in a row you've gone to Starbucks this week; and three weeks since you started going there. I never knew you were a big coffee drinker; especially Starbucks coffee, Yami."

"They just happened to be on the way and I've really needed the caffeine these days to keep me going," Yami admitted, not bothering to look up from his computer screen. "Getting this acquisition rolling and making sure that everything runs smoothly during the transition takes a lot of focus. And I can't focus if I'm drowsy because I don't sleep at night thanks to that adorable five-year-old I have at home. She's been extra rambunctious these days for some reason."

"Her mom still refuses to come and get her to give you a break, huh," Seto asked, irking a brow.

"Unfortunately," Yami said as he typed something on his keyboard. "It's alright though, I'll actually be able to get some sleep starting this weekend. She's going to my parent's house Saturday morning. They're keeping her for a week."

"You definitely deserve a break, what with everything you do here to keep this place going on top of taking care of your daughter," Seto said as he turned to leave. "Well, I'll leave you to get back to work. Keep me updated on what's going on when you have the chance."

"I'll be sure to do so," Yami assured his cousin as he disappeared out of his office again.

The rest of the workday went by quickly, Yami leaving after making sure he was in a good place for the day. He headed to the daycare to pick up his daughter before heading to Starbucks for a blonde Americano. When he walked into the store, he was greeted by the sight of Yūgi dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a v-neck tee-shirt standing on a stepstool. He'd never seen her look so casual in the weeks since he'd been coming to this location and she looked to be working on the Christmas display. He couldn't believe it was already that time of year again.

"Welcome in," he heard her greet as he stepped through the door.

She turned her head, beaming when she saw him as she stepped down from the stepstool. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the little girl that tried to hide herself behind her father's leg. A smile pulled at the edge of her lips as she leaned forward and placed her hands on her knees and stooped down to the girl's level. "Hello little one, what's your name?"

"This is my daughter, Hikari," Yami said smiling as he placed a hand atop her head. "Hikari, it's alright. Say hello to Miss Yūgi."

"Hello," Hikari said in a small voice, still hiding against her father's leg.

Yūgi couldn't help the smile that crossed her features at the little girl as she sat up again to look at the girl's father. "She's absolutely adorable. Would it be alright to give her a cake-pop? We've got new flavours we're going to be introducing tomorrow, but I think I can sneak you guys one."

"I think that would be fine," Yami said as he nodded.

"Great," Yūgi pipped as she scurried behind the counter. She returned a moment later and offered the bag that held the cake-pop to the little girl. "Here you are, Hikari."

"What do you say, Kar," Yami asked, irking a brow at his daughter.

"Thank you," Hikari said before happily delving into her treat.

"You're welcome," Yūgi said before returning her attention to Yami. "Did you come in for your usual Blonde Americano tonight, Yami?"

"I did," Yami confirmed as he watched her slip behind the counter once more. "And a slice of warmed pumpkin bread. It's going to be a long night, tonight."

"Just a second," the tri-colour haired woman said as she pressed several buttons on the POS.

Yami made a move to pay but was waved off when Yūgi pressed another button and excused herself. He watched her make her way over to the bar to get started on his drink, brow furrowed. He hadn't expected to get a free drink. And he was more than happy to pay for it. It wasn't like a single Venti Blonde Americano and a piece of pumpkin bread would break the bank. With a shrug of his shoulders, he pulled his wallet from his pocket just as the woman, he learned over the last few weeks was the store manager, walked into the lobby.

"Have you been helped yet," the dark-haired woman asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I have, thank you," Yami answered before she walked away again.

Yūgi returned a minute later and passed the hot drink to him before ducking down to look at the pastry cart. While she did so, Yami pulled several different bills from his wallet and stuck them in the tip jar for the workers. Ever since he'd started coming to this Starbucks, all of the baristas and shift supervisors had been very kind to him. Especially Yūgi, which is why he didn't mind stopping in twice a day or leaving the kinds of tips that he left.

Yūgi returned just a moment after he heard the oven ding before being opened and shut. She handed him the pastry bag with a smile, "Here you go. Enjoy."

"Thank you, have a good night Yūgi," Yami said before reaching for his daughter's hand.

Yūgi smiled as she watched them go, waving to the little girl when she turned and waved goodbye to her. She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Anzu come and stand beside her until she'd bumped her shoulder. Yūgi yelped, jumping several feet away as she turned to look at her longtime best friend with wide, amethyst eyes. "Anzu, where did you come from?"

"I've been standing next to you for like the last three minutes, you just didn't notice," Anzu laughed, brushing strands of short, brown hair that fell into her face. "You have a crush on Mr. Sennen, don't you? Because every time he comes in here and you're here, you're the first one to say anything to him."

"I treat him the same way I treat all of our other customers," Yūgi refuted as she moved from behind the counter, Anzu close in tow. "I'm a very friendly person, Anzu. You know this. I've always been this way."

"A little too friendly with Mr. Sennen, if you ask me," Anzu laughed as she and Yūgi went back to setting up the holiday décor. She handed her one of the ceramic tumblers that would be going on sale the next day. "Not that I blame you though. Yami's a good-looking guy, and he's not that much older than you are. Plus, he's pretty well off. I've done my research on him, CFO of Kaiba Corp, one of the biggest corporations in the world? He's definitely paid. I say you get on that, ASAP."

"You know money doesn't have any effect on me, Anzu," Yūgi said as she reached for the next mug she would have to put on display. "I like people for who they are, not what they have. And besides, Yami is way out of my league."

"I don't know about that, Yūgi," Anzu said as she handed her best friend the last mug before picking up the empty box to put it away with the rest of the trash. "He seems to like you quite a bit. I've noticed when he comes in, he immediately looks for you whether it be in the morning or afternoon. Especially when you're not working front. I think he likes you, more than you realize. And I wouldn't let a chance like that slip away if I were you."

Yūgi hummed to herself as she watched her best friend walk away. She never really paid it much attention. She enjoyed talking to Yami whenever he would come in. And now that she knew he had a daughter, that was something else that they could talk about. He clearly wasn't married because he didn't wear a wedding band on his left ring finger. And that made her wonder where Hikari's mother was. There was still so much about him that she didn't know. But she was more than happy to try and find out. She'd probably ask him about it the next time he came in and she was working. She was off all of next week due to school and wouldn't get the chance to talk to him when he came to the counter like she usually did. And she didn't work Fridays and Saturdays.

…

The following morning, when Yami walked into Starbucks, he was ready to turn around and walk right back out. The usually calm store had turned into a mad house. And he was certain that if they'd had a drive thru, the line of cars would have wrapped around the parking lot. And it scared him half to death. Yami had never been one for large crowds, they made him anxious. But he needed his coffee and he wanted to see if Yūgi was working. So far, he hadn't seen her yet. Maybe she was in the back?

"I knew that it was going to be a crazy morning, but I didn't think it would be this crazy," a strangely familiar female voice suddenly spoke at his side.

Startled, the tri-colour haired man glanced to his left to see Yūgi standing there, dressed in a pair of snug fitted "destroyed" denim skinny jeans, a baby blue v-neck tee; complimented by a black cardigan over her shoulders and baby blue flats on tiny feet. Her backpack was hanging from her left shoulder, a large textbook in her right hand and a pair of headphones around her slender neck. She clearly hadn't come in to work this morning.

"What's going on today," Yami asked, shaking off his startled disposition.

"Oh," Yūgi chirped, turning to look up at the much taller man, "Hi Yami. I didn't notice you standing there until just now."

"I just walked in and was greeted by this chaos," Yami answered. "So, what's happening?"

"Remember when I told you about the holiday treats last night," Yūgi asked, irking a brow. Yami nodded as she gestured around them. "This madness is due to the holiday launch. We've got eight new holiday lattes that have just come out, along with corresponding Frappuccino's. Plus, all the pastries. I suggest trying the cranberry bliss bars. They're delicious. The toasted white mochas and peppermint white mochas are also really good, too, if you ever want to try a latte."

"I think I'll try one today," Yami said before he gestured for her to step forward. The line had cleared, and it was finally their turn to order. He assumed that she was going to be getting something to drink, since she was there, after all. "After you."

"Thank you," Yūgi hummed as she walked up to the counter. She smiled, waving at the baristas that works at the bar stations before turning to the girl at the register. "Morning Mana, has it been this crazy since we opened?"

"Yep," the girl, Mana, answered with a nod. "From the minute the doors opened at five this morning to now, we've been non-stop. People really want that red cup."

"Oh jeez, it is red cup day today too, huh," Yūgi said shaking her head. "Well, can I get a Grande, quad shot, Peppermint White Mocha with only two pumps of the peppermint and an extra pump of white mocha, please?"

"That was a mouthful, but yeah, is that gonna be it, Yūg," Mana asked.

"I'll also take a piece of gingerbread loaf," Yūgi answered. "And yes, that was a mouthful. I almost got all tongue tied saying it."

"Is that all," Mana asked.

"For now," Yūgi said as she pulled her backpack to the front to grab her wallet. "I'll be around for a few hours; I've got loads of studying and homework to do and I will never get it done sitting at home."

Mana laughed, typing in what Yami assumed was Yūgi's employee number, "Too many distractions, I assume? Are my sister-in-law and Anzu driving you nuts?"

"I love Malik and Anzu to death, but they both can definitely be a distraction sometimes; especially when they're together," Yūgi answered as she pulled her debit card from her wallet and slipped it into the card reader. A few seconds later, she pulled it out again. "And right now, that's not what I need in my life." The card was slipped back into her wallet before she turned to walk away again. "Thanks Mana, and good luck today. Looks like you guys are going to need it."

"Don't remind me," Mana called after her before she turned her attention back to Yami. "What are we getting for you today, Yami?"

Yūgi didn't hear what he'd ordered, making her way over to one of the only open tables that remained. She placed her backpack on the chair, the textbook she'd been holding plopping down on the tabletop. It was just as she'd pulled her laptop, notebook and pencil case from her bag that Yami walked over holding a pastry bag. She was surprised to see him without his usual blonde coffee.

"What, no blonde roast today," Yūgi asked as she moved her bag to the side before she sat down, gesturing for him to join her.

Yami took the offer, sitting down in the chair across from her. "I decided to try the toasted white mocha that you suggested; with four shots of blonde espresso of course."

"You sure do love your blonde roast," Yūgi laughed as she flipped her MacBook Pro opened and turned it on. "But, that's actually delicious. The blonde shots are a bit sweeter, so it makes the toasted white mocha taste even better."

"We'll see about that," Yami chuckled as he glanced at the textbook she had cracked opened. "How long have you been working for Starbucks, if you don't mind my asking."

She paused for just a second, trying to think about it. "Well, I started when I was sixteen. I'm twenty-four now, so I've been with the company for almost eight and a half years. I started like a month after my sixteenth birthday; so late-July, early-August? I've been a shift supervisor for about six of those eight and a half years."

He nodded once; she really wasn't that much younger than he was. There was almost a full four years of an age difference between them. Happy with this information, he'd opened his mouth to ask another question when they heard her name being called as her drink was placed in the handoff plane. His followed shortly after. Yūgi stood, waving for him to stay sitting down as she went to grab the drinks. While her back was turned, he picked up her pen and wrote his number down for her and a message for her to call him sometime. She returned a moment after he'd placed her pen down again and handed his drink to him.

"Thank you," Yami said as he stood, grabbing the pastry bag and fixing his coat over his shoulders. "It was good talking to you, Yūgi. Have a good day, and good luck with your studies."

Yūgi smiled as she sat down. "Thank you, have a good day Yami."

He nodded, heading out the side door as she waved after him. It wasn't until he was out the door that she glanced at her notebook and saw his number scrawled across the corner of the page. She nearly had a heart attack, her breath catching in her throat as Mana came to sit beside her.

"I know that look, what happened," her friend asked as she sat down with her own drink.

"I'm pretty sure Yami Sennen just gave me his phone number," Yūgi said as she turned the notebook so that Mana could see it. "And I honestly have no idea what to do about it."

"You text him, that's what you do about it," Mana said, rolling her eyes at her tri-colour haired friend. "Or you could call him. That works too, you know. I mean, that's what people generally do when someone gives them their number. Obviously he wants to stay in contact, outside of Starbucks."

"But Mana…" Yūgi started before Mana held up a hand to stop her.

"But nothing, Yūgi," Mana said. "You're going to text him, or call him, whichever tickles your fancy. And you're going to do it sooner rather than later. The man is obviously in very strong like of you. Why the hell else would he give you, a simple Starbucks Shift Supervisor, his phone number when he could literally have any woman in this world. Plus, I hear his kid is pretty cute, too. I can see it now; she'll call you Momma Yūgi and it'll be the most adorable thing ever."

Yūgi rolled her eyes, pulling her iPhone XS Max from her back pocket. She quickly saved the phone number in her phone under his name before locking the screen again. Her attention then returned to her homework. She had a lot to do and the whole reason for her coming to Starbucks was to get something done, "Alright, alright. I'll text him; I promise."

"You'd better, or you'd better sleep with your door locked for the rest of forever," Mana threatened. "Because I'm definitely telling Anzu and Malik about this, and you know how they are when it comes to your love life. They want you to have one."

"Like they have any room to worry about my love life, or lack thereof, when they don't have boyfriends themselves," Yūgi said rolling her eyes. "I'll text him, Mana. I promise. Besides, I'm not scheduled to work again until Sunday of next week because of school. I'll definitely find time during that week off to text him."

"You'd better, or else," Mana said as she stood. "Welp, my ten is almost over. Back into the madness I go. Thank goodness today isn't a happy hour because then we'd really die."

"Tell me about it," Yūgi laughed. "Good luck, Mana."

She waved to her friend as she walked away before her attention returned to her homework. The buds of the wireless headphones that hung around her neck were placed in her ears before she unlocked her phone and turned on her music. She had a lot of homework to get done by the end of the weekend and she needed to get as much done as she possibly could by the end of the day.

…

For the last two days, he'd checked his phone, hoping that Yūgi had messaged him or attempted to call when he wasn't paying attention to his phone. But alas, there were no messages from an unknown number, no matter how much he wished there would be. Perhaps she hadn't found his note; she had been busy when he left her Friday morning.

His phone dinged, indicating a new message and he snatched the device with a little too much enthusiasm, only to realize that it still had not been Yūgi that had texted him, but his mother. She was requesting to meet with him somewhere so that they could talk. Choking back his disappointment, he replied to her message; asking her to meet him at Starbucks before sending her the address for the store Yūgi worked at. Maybe if he was lucky, she would be there, and he could ask her in person if she'd seen that he left her his phone number.

With a nod of his head, he shuffled out of his bed, stretching as he stood to his feet before leaving his bedroom to get his daughter up. When he opened the door to her room, he found her just waking up from her mid-day nap. The bright grin that she flashed him made the twenty-eight-year-old smile.

"Hi Daddy," Hikari chirped happily.

"Hey Kar," Yami replied, making his way over to the bed. He lifted the girl up as she raised her arms, kissing her forehead before allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. "We've gotta get ready to go. Grandma wants to see you."

"Are we going to Grandma and Grandpa's house," Hikari asked excitedly.

"No, Grandma's gonna meet us at Starbucks," Yami said as he made his way over to her closet. Using his free hand, he rummaged through her clothes, looking for something warm enough for her to wear out of the house. "Grandma wants coffee."

"Oh, okay," Hikari said dejectedly before she was beaming at him again. "Daddy? Can I has one of those cake thingies the lady gave me?"

Yami chuckled. What had Yūgi called them again? Cake… "A cake-pop, Hikari?"

"Yeah, one of those," Hikari said grinning brightly as her father took a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved fleece shirt out of her closet for her to wear. "It was really good the last time I got one." She paused for a moment before her face lit up again and she grinned brightly at her father. "Ooh, Daddy, do you think that the nice lady that gave me a cake-pop the last time will be there again today? I liked her; she was really nice to me when we went the other day."

"I'm not sure, sweetheart," Yami answered. "She may be, she may not. We'll just have to wait and see when we get there, won't we?"

"Mhm," Hikari chimed as her father placed her on her feet again.

Yami handed his daughter her clothes, gesturing for her to get ready before he left the room. He needed to get dressed himself, and Hikari was more than capable of dressing herself. He returned to his room, closing the door behind him before he made his way over to his closet. He put on a pair of dark washed jeans and a fitted, long-sleeved v-neck tee shirt. His unruly tri-coloured hair was combed through, knocking out all the knots and kinks that developed over night before being pulled into a low ponytail. His socks were next to be put on, a pair of tennis shoes grabbed as he left his room.

When he stepped into the hallway, Hikari had just stepped out of her room as well; dressed in the outfit he'd pulled out for her. He gestured for her to follow him, leading the little girl into the bathroom where he picked up her paddle brush and brushing through her hair. Satisfied with the amount of brushing, he pulled her hair into a ponytail before they were leaving; on their way to meet his mother for breakfast and coffee.

…

Yūgi pulled into the parking lot of her job, cutting the ignition of her Toyota Rav4 before reaching into the backseat to grab her backpack. She stepped out of the SUV as she pulled her bag over her shoulder, closing and locking the doors behind her as she crossed the parking lot to the entrance of the store. When she walked in, she was greeted by a bustling store. She expected it, she was coming in right at the mid-way point of their peak hours when they were the busiest. Blowing a breath, she made her way to the counter. She'd gotten there about twenty minute early; plenty of time for her to have a small cup of coffee before she clocked in for her shift.

When she approached the counter, Anzu walked out of the back room and smiled at her. "Morning Yūgi, I thought you were off today?"

"I was, but Takashi called in so Hanako asked me to cover for him or you wouldn't have a shift until one this afternoon when Mana comes in," Yūgi explained as Anzu stepped over to the register. "I don't really mind, the shift had to be covered and I wasn't doing anything other than homework."

"Pft, if I had this week off, I definitely would not be covering someone's shift," the brown-haired woman said rolling her eyes as she woke up the POS system. "Anyways, what can I get for you? You obviously want coffee if you came in early."

Yūgi laughed, nodding her head. "Yeah, can I just get a tall Americano with four pumps of Pumpkin Spice sauce and a cinnamon raisin bagel with butter? I'll pay for my bagel. Saving the food mark-out for lunch."

"You got it," Anzu said as she entered the order before punching in Yūgi's partner numbers. "Round up?"

"Yep," Yūgi said as she opened her Starbucks app.

"Two bucks," Anzu told her before she pressed the button as she walked away to get the bagel.

Yūgi scanned her card before tucking the phone away in her back pocket again and moving out of the way for more customers to step towards the front. She slipped into the back room to put her bag away, pulling her apron out before leaving the room again. She hung her apron on the rack before walking out again, right as Mana pulled her bagel from the oven.

"Here you go, Yūgi," Anzu said handing her the bag, "Enjoy."

"Thank you," Yūgi said as she made her way to the end of the bar.

She'd sit down and enjoy her bagel and coffee before she had to go clock in for her shift.

…

Yami pulled up to Starbucks thirty minutes after leaving his house, parking his Tesla as close to the door as he possibly could. After helping the five-year-old out of the car, he carefully crossed the parking lot to the main entrance, opening the door before letting his daughter enter first. He hadn't seen his mother's car in the parking lot, so he assumed that she hadn't gotten there yet. He was about to turn and go sit down when he heard an all too familiar voice call out, "Good morning, welcome to Starbucks."

He glanced to his right to see Yūgi walking out as she tied her apron around her waist. The moment he saw her, his stomach began to churn. He'd hoped that he would see her, but he wasn't sure what he would do beyond that. And now, here she was, and he couldn't seem to find his voice. Luckily for him, Hikari could.

"Hi again," Hikari chimed when she saw the woman. "Do you remember me?"

Yūgi smiled when she saw the father/daughter duo. "I do remember you, hello again Hikari. You too, Yami. I didn't expect to see you guys today."

"We didn't expect to be here today," Yami laughed, finally finding his voice again.

Somehow, she managed to put him at ease by speaking first. Now, he just had to work up the courage to ask her if she'd gotten his message he left on her notebook. But, he'd wait until she wasn't so busy, and he wasn't waiting for his mother to ask her.

"Are you getting your blonde roast today," she asked as she assigned to the till.

"Actually, I'll try that peppermint white mocha with blonde shots and only one pump of the peppermint. I remember you telling me it was overpowering," Yami answered. "The toasted one was actually quite delicious, but it left a funny aftertaste in my mouth. Had to chew gum to get rid of it."

Yūgi laughed as she put his order in, "Doing a venti?"

"Mhm," Yami answered. "Also, make it a triple shot will you? I get the feeling I'm going to need the caffeine today. We're meeting with my mother in a bit and she's every bit as hyper as Hikari is." He then turned to glance at his daughter, "Go ahead and tell Miss Yūgi what you would like, Kar."

"May I have a cake-pop please, the one that you gave me the last time," Hikari asked sweetly. "And something with vanilla in it. But no coffee, cause I'm too little for that."

Yūgi chuckled again, "Well, we can do a vanilla steamer for you. It's like a latte, but without the coffee. How does that sound?"

"Yeah, that sound good," Hikari chimed. "Thank you!"

"Of course," the tri-colour haired woman answered as she added the drink to the order. "Anything else for you guys today?"

"That's it, for now," Yami answered as he pulled his wallet from his pocket.

"Alright, just a second," Yūgi said as she pressed several buttons. Yami watched as the price reduced to zero dollars before she cashed it out. This was the fourth time she'd done that for him. "Your drinks and cake-pop are on me, today. Let me grab the treat for you and I'll be right back."

She stepped away, grabbing the cake-pop and putting it in a bag before she returned and handed the bag to the little girl. "Your drinks are going to be down at the end."

Yami simply shook his head, placing several bills in the tip jar before he smiled at Yūgi; ushering his daughter out of the way. One of these days, he was going to make her understand that he could pay for his drinks. She didn't have to keep giving them to him for free. What he didn't think about, was the fact that, that was a sign that she liked him in return.

…

Yami's mother had shown up not long after he and Hikari got their drinks. Yūgi wasn't working the register, she was on the bar making drinks when she'd ordered and so, he actually paid for the order like he'd been trying to do beforehand. He'd had a nice conversation with her, his mother asking when he was going to try settling down again and giving him more grandchildren. Yami could feel his face getting hot because of it, and he was thankful that no one other than his daughter heard her inquiry. She'd left two and a half hours after she arrived, taking Hikari with her for some much-needed grandmother/granddaughter time. Only a few minutes after they left did he see Yūgi clocking out for her lunch. This was his chance to ask her if she'd seen his note. His mother was nowhere around anymore to ask him about who she was.

The woman had already been giving him funny looks because of how friendly he'd been with her when she gave him his mother's drink. That had been what prompted the question about him settling down again and giving her more grandchildren.

Yami waited patiently while she got her food and drink for lunch before discarding her apron and walking from behind the counter. She must have seen him sitting alone with the latte he'd ordered just before his mother left, because she came to sit beside him.

"You're still here," Yūgi asked as she sat down, setting the plate that had her food on it on the tabletop. "I thought you would have left by now; you've been here for hours."

Yami chuckled, locking his cellphone and slipping it back into his pocket. "Mom decided to come and have breakfast here then she left with Hikari. I stuck around though because I wanted to talk to you, actually."

Yūgi had just taken a bite out of her sandwich when he admitted why he'd stayed, amethyst eyes turning to look at him. She chewed and swallowed quickly before speaking, "I think I know what this is about…"

"So, you did find my note," Yami asked, irking a brow.

"I did, and I saved your number," Yūgi answered. "I was actually going to text you today, when I got home from work. I had no choice, unless I wanted my roommates trying to steal my phone to do it for me. Not that I minded anyway, I enjoy talking to you."

It almost felt as if a weight was lifted from Yami's shoulders the moment she told him that she had intended to message him later that day. And here he was, worrying himself silly over nothing. A lopsided smile crossed his features. "Good to know, because there was something else that I wanted to ask you about."

"That would be," Yūgi asked.

"If you wouldn't mind going out with me some time," Yami answered slyly as he stood from his seat. "We'll talk about it more later, when you finally send that text. I'll be waiting. Until then, have a good rest of your day, Yūgi."

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked towards the exit. Yūgi watched until he was gone before her phone was pulled from her pocket and she sent a group text to all of her friends. She couldn't wait to get off work that afternoon.

And for the rest of the day, Yūgi wore a smile on her face despite how hectic the day was.


End file.
